Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: RoboG2 on May 06, 2005, 08:42:23 pm

Title: Best applications for a widescreen laptop?
Post by: RoboG2 on May 06, 2005, 08:42:23 pm
Now that my widescreen laptop is basically all set-up with the programs and setting I want, what freeware programs, games, etc. do you think would take full advantage of the widescreen?  I can never have enough free software!  ;D

EDIT:  Actually, any freeware software would be useful.  By that I mean for web design, image manipulation, video creating/editing, flash editing, video capture, games, etc.  Anything really. 

Thanks in advance!
Title: Re: Best applications for a widescreen laptop?
Post by: Howard_Casto on May 08, 2005, 04:42:52 am
How is this related to arcade controls??? 

(This should be in everything else.)

Mame supports the wide aspects as does virtually any skinnable fe (the aspect will be distorted, but when you make the skin you can take that into account).  For emulation, that's about it. 


But as a whole, laptops still suck for gaming, as do any lcd screen for that matter.  Of course some people will argue otherwise, but those people aren't sensitive to low refresh rates and excessive "flicker". 

Title: Re: Best applications for a widescreen laptop?
Post by: Dire Radiant on May 08, 2005, 02:18:30 pm
Really the only reason for making a laptop in anything other than 4:3 is for watching widescreen DVDs. Widescreen might work for movies where you're usually going to be sitting further away but it blows as a gaming standard (And as Howard pointed out, so do TFTs in general)
Title: Re: Best applications for a widescreen laptop?
Post by: Howard_Casto on May 09, 2005, 02:52:33 am
Yeah that's pretty much my thoughts.  When you buy a widescreen laptop you are basically buying an overpriced, portable dvd player.  (If you'll notice, it's hard to buy one without a dvd drive installed.) 

Most windows apps don't "scale" so that throws out usefullness in general computer use.  Tables don't even have more room in apps as usually the width of the table is fixed.